Extraordinary 1940 Josh Gibson single signed Official Wilson Negro League Game Baseball (Trautman).
He was known as "the black Babe Ruth" in his day, the most fearsome slugger in the Negro Leagues, but forever locked out of the Majors by the improperly termed "Gentlemen's Agreement" that stood until Jackie Robinson crossed the color line three months after Gibson's early death. Imperfect Negro League record keeping has mixed with Gibson's superior talents to create a folk hero of sorts, with estimates of the Hall of Fame catcher's home run tally reaching as high as 950. Chicago American Giants infielder Jack Marshall insisted for years that Gibson once delivered a Yankee Stadium home run over the third deck next to the left field bullpen, which would stand to this day as the only fair ball driven beyond the confines of the Bronx ballpark in its eighty-five year history.
Satchel Paige asserted, "Josh was the greatest hitter I ever pitched to, and I pitched to everybody. Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle. None of them was as great as Josh." Fellow Hall of Famer Leo Durocher also weighed in on Gibson, claiming, "Everything said about him was true, and then some."
Even the most casual baseball collector is aware that very few artifacts have survived from the days of the Negro Leagues, with most of the autographs populating the hobby penned by the hands of old men decades removed from their service to the game.
After suffering a nervous breakdown in 1943 Josh Gibson had a stroke in January of 1947 and died at age thirty-five. His untimely death at such a young age is the primary reason for the great rarity of his signature today.
It is estimated that fewer than one dozen authentic Gibson autographs exist in the hobby today most of them on paper. Here we present one of the most appealing examples from that microscopic supply, one of just the tiniest handful of baseballs bearing the signature of the fabled slugger. The other few signed baseballs are multi signed baseballs. This is the only true Josh Gibson single signed baseball in existence. Gibson signed the ball and inscribed "Homestead Grays, July 8,1942".
A Joe Jackson signed photo recently sold at Auction for $1,400,000. Considering the scarcity and demand for Josh Gibson, this ball may be worth more than that.
Comes with full letters Certificate Of Authenticity from both PSA DNA and JSA.